Leonard Krog steps down as MLA of Nanaimo

Krog, also mayor of Nanaimo, said he handed in his letter of resignation to the speaker of the B.C. legislative assembly’s office today. It was the end of 18 years in the B.C. legislature and a day with some emotion. There are a lot of things he looks back on with pride.

“The change to policy that allowed the children of workers who were killed on the job, whose surviving parent was on social assistance, actually get the money, as opposed to having it clawed back by the government … the coolest thing is having represented a wonderful city like Nanaimo,” said Krog.

According to a statement from Elections B.C., pursuant to the Constitution Act, the speaker must inform the chief electoral officer of B.C. with a warrant and following that, a byelection must be held within six months. It is up to the government to decide the timing within that period.

“The premier made it pretty clear that there’d be a byelection called probably in late January,” said Krog. “I mean that’s more or less what he said on the day the announcement was made around [Sheila Malcolmson’s] candidacy for the nomination, so I don’t think anything’s going to change that.”

Krog announced he would be running for mayor of Nanaimo in June and was elected in October’s municipal election.